Ghost Hunters recently went to Buffalo's Central Terminal to investigate reports of paranormal activity. They were very positive about restoration efforts of the building, and duly awed by the 14 story art deco spire and sprawling complex. Some interesting stories came out of the locals working on the site, one involving a voice in the dark asking questions in German, which led to the mention that German POW's were put to work maintaining the building during WWII.
The investigative team itself heard footsteps, heard and caught voices on their recorders, made "contact" with a woman using a device that registered electro-magnetic disturbances and saw shapes moving on a thermal camera. They concluded the place was certainly haunted, but not by nasty ghosts. My thoughts: vagrants screwing with them.
The thing that really stuck with me though was the magnificence of the structure and the way it effected the team. They were very impressed and even if it was by a derelict building from the Days of Yore, it was still my city that did it. Hooray for Buffalo. Speaking of which, there is an Oktoberfest celebration happening there Saturday night. Should be a good time.
Now, if they're really brave, they'll spend a night in the Richardson towers of the old psychiatric hospital on Forest.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Fall guy
It's no secret, I've blogged about it before. I heart autumn. Best beer, best sports, best weather, best hiking. Best holidays. One thing I also like is the sound of the accordian, which we get to (or have to, depending on your perspective) hear more often during glorious Oktobahfesht. Maybe it's because I'm half kraut, half pollock. I just like hearing a nice Alpine rhythm coming out of the squeeze box. Or a Piratey theme. 's good stuff. Roll out the barrels, I say. Yo ho ho.
I also have to recommend a new cartoon, Chowder, for anyone who hasn't suffered through one of my failed attempts to explain why it's so damned funny. It is on par with and often a cut above Dexter's Lab, and a good rebound-toon for a world gone cold and clammy with Avatar withdrawal pangs.
I also have to recommend a new cartoon, Chowder, for anyone who hasn't suffered through one of my failed attempts to explain why it's so damned funny. It is on par with and often a cut above Dexter's Lab, and a good rebound-toon for a world gone cold and clammy with Avatar withdrawal pangs.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Match-O-Matic
In a continued effort to enlighten voters without offering my own views as commentary (vote Quimby!), I offer you this link. It offers quotes and positions on issues without telling you who said them. You pick the one you like better after each pair of quotes, and at the end it tells you who you agree with more.
No re-taking if you get "the wrong guy" on your first go around.
No re-taking if you get "the wrong guy" on your first go around.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Presidential Candidates and the Environment
Now that both candidates have selected running mates, I thought I'd join in the discussions by mapping out the current positions and plans of both candidates on addressing climate change. I'm happy to report that both campaigns have detailed plans that recognize the validity of the issue, which is huge and represents a burgeoning consensus that is finally brushing aside any lingering claims that the scientific community has some sort of agenda causing them to concoct false notions.
Per their respective campaign websites, McCain and Obama both plan to implement a "cap and trade" emissions program, where companies are alotted a number of "carbon credits" allowing for limited pollution. Those who don't use all of their credits are allowed to sell spare credits to other companies. McCain has a long term goal to reduce emissions levels to 60% below what they were in 1990 by the year 2050. Obama plans to reduce emissions "by 80%" by 2050. I haven't found further detail on what year he's using as a comparison for that reduction, but my guess is he's looking at 2005 or 2007.
Either way, some scientists are now predicting that at current trending, the Arctic Ocean may have its first completely ice free summer as early as 2013. More conservative models have moved the date from 2080 to 2030. By comparison, in 2012, McCain's reduction plan will have reached it's first benchmark: a reduction to 18% over 1990 emissions levels. Obama's plan doesn't have the tiered benchmarks on emissions that McCain does, but he is shooting for a goal of his own: 10% of all electricity coming from renewable sources, with a longer term goal of 25% by 2025. Breaking these statements down into cold hard factual numbers would be nice, but there are too many variables and the lack of in depth detail makes it impossible to calculate.
McCain's cap and trade plan allows credits to be sold directly from one company to another. Obama's requires them to be auctioned off.
Obama mentions a plan to put 1.5 million plug-in hybrids on the road that get up to 150mpg by 2015, the final goal of which is to completely detach us from needing any oil from the Middle East or Venezuela by 2018. His aim is to ensure that these are US made cars, which will create a "green collar" manufacturing work force. He also wants to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska, develop clean coal as a primary source of energy (previously he had been promoting nuclear energy), reduce national consumption of electricity by 15% by 2020, and weatherize 1 million low income homes per year. Obama wants to offer a $7000 tax rebate for purchases of advanced technology vehicles.
McCain's comprehensive plan is known as the Lexington Plan, and one of it's ultimate goals is complete independence from foreign oil by 2025. He wants to offer a prize of $300 million to any US firm that can create a hybrid or fully electric battery technology that will "leapfrog" current technology standards. He wants to offer a $5000 tax rebate to clean car purchasers. He supports alternative energy advancement of all kinds and wants to offer companies investing in R&D a tax incentive equal to 10% of the wages of R&D personnel. McCain advocates clean coal as well as nuclear power, and specifically wants to fund development of infrastructure for both.
As for US oil companies, McCain wants to release the moratorium on continental shelf drilling completely to allow unlimited domestic production or oil and natural gas. Obama points to all the unused lease claims that already exist both on land and at sea, and wants to force them to drill there first (or lose their leases) before leasing new areas. Obama supports a windfall profits tax which he will use to offer rebates to low income families. McCain opposes this, believing such a tax only increases our dependence on foreign oil.
McCain goes into better detail on carbon credits and how unsold units will eventually be auctioned automatically. A portion of the money from these auctions will be used to fund R&D on advanced clean technology. Another portion will be used to aid low income families when needed. He will also develop a Strategic Carbon Reserve, which will allow for extra polluting whenever the economy is under "duress".
McCain and Obama both want the US to lead global ecological efforts, mainly through the UN politically and by selling clean technologies to developing countries.
McCain also mentions an "adaptation plan" that goes beyond energy-focused efforts and covers the environmental issue completely, which I assume to mean reducing our impact on nature across the board (sprawling developments, EPA protections, fishing and hunting regulation, logging, recycling, etc) using scientific analysis as a basis for activity on a local level.
I highly encourage anyone looking for clarification or more detail to visit www.johnmccain.com or http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy for more details.
Per their respective campaign websites, McCain and Obama both plan to implement a "cap and trade" emissions program, where companies are alotted a number of "carbon credits" allowing for limited pollution. Those who don't use all of their credits are allowed to sell spare credits to other companies. McCain has a long term goal to reduce emissions levels to 60% below what they were in 1990 by the year 2050. Obama plans to reduce emissions "by 80%" by 2050. I haven't found further detail on what year he's using as a comparison for that reduction, but my guess is he's looking at 2005 or 2007.
Either way, some scientists are now predicting that at current trending, the Arctic Ocean may have its first completely ice free summer as early as 2013. More conservative models have moved the date from 2080 to 2030. By comparison, in 2012, McCain's reduction plan will have reached it's first benchmark: a reduction to 18% over 1990 emissions levels. Obama's plan doesn't have the tiered benchmarks on emissions that McCain does, but he is shooting for a goal of his own: 10% of all electricity coming from renewable sources, with a longer term goal of 25% by 2025. Breaking these statements down into cold hard factual numbers would be nice, but there are too many variables and the lack of in depth detail makes it impossible to calculate.
McCain's cap and trade plan allows credits to be sold directly from one company to another. Obama's requires them to be auctioned off.
Obama mentions a plan to put 1.5 million plug-in hybrids on the road that get up to 150mpg by 2015, the final goal of which is to completely detach us from needing any oil from the Middle East or Venezuela by 2018. His aim is to ensure that these are US made cars, which will create a "green collar" manufacturing work force. He also wants to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska, develop clean coal as a primary source of energy (previously he had been promoting nuclear energy), reduce national consumption of electricity by 15% by 2020, and weatherize 1 million low income homes per year. Obama wants to offer a $7000 tax rebate for purchases of advanced technology vehicles.
McCain's comprehensive plan is known as the Lexington Plan, and one of it's ultimate goals is complete independence from foreign oil by 2025. He wants to offer a prize of $300 million to any US firm that can create a hybrid or fully electric battery technology that will "leapfrog" current technology standards. He wants to offer a $5000 tax rebate to clean car purchasers. He supports alternative energy advancement of all kinds and wants to offer companies investing in R&D a tax incentive equal to 10% of the wages of R&D personnel. McCain advocates clean coal as well as nuclear power, and specifically wants to fund development of infrastructure for both.
As for US oil companies, McCain wants to release the moratorium on continental shelf drilling completely to allow unlimited domestic production or oil and natural gas. Obama points to all the unused lease claims that already exist both on land and at sea, and wants to force them to drill there first (or lose their leases) before leasing new areas. Obama supports a windfall profits tax which he will use to offer rebates to low income families. McCain opposes this, believing such a tax only increases our dependence on foreign oil.
McCain goes into better detail on carbon credits and how unsold units will eventually be auctioned automatically. A portion of the money from these auctions will be used to fund R&D on advanced clean technology. Another portion will be used to aid low income families when needed. He will also develop a Strategic Carbon Reserve, which will allow for extra polluting whenever the economy is under "duress".
McCain and Obama both want the US to lead global ecological efforts, mainly through the UN politically and by selling clean technologies to developing countries.
McCain also mentions an "adaptation plan" that goes beyond energy-focused efforts and covers the environmental issue completely, which I assume to mean reducing our impact on nature across the board (sprawling developments, EPA protections, fishing and hunting regulation, logging, recycling, etc) using scientific analysis as a basis for activity on a local level.
I highly encourage anyone looking for clarification or more detail to visit www.johnmccain.com or http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy for more details.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Where I've been
Saratoga Springs and Albany are nice enough. Dallas has yet to impress me (and I did give it a fair chance). Chicago is as charming as ever, and Gab is doing well, working in the Batman Building and becoming a bona fide local Chicagan.
That's about it for my travels. I watched the majority of the olympics from hotel rooms, which as I write it, sounds much more appealing than it actually is. I read a book about FBI Special Agent Pendergast, an infallible superhuman cross between James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, The Shadow and Indiana Jones. While the book covered some interesting subject matter and ended up a fun read, it was hard to accept this demigod hero. My one pointer for the capable authors is to tone it down a bit. I mean, this guy has the eloquence of Shakespeare, has a bottomless repository of knowledge on all obscura, is independently wealthy, routinely selects the singularly correct solution to puzzling situations in nanoseconds, physically resembles a close cropped Legolas, and has the foppish first name of Aloysius. Oh yeah, and he even has a ward. It's borderline satire on the genre to shamelessly pile so much onto a single entity. I bet he can fly, too.
Did I mention that he also has an evil brother? I'm not kidding.
And yet, I read the whole damned book. I feel bloated, unhealthy. Like my mind now has gas from the indulgence.
That's about it for my travels. I watched the majority of the olympics from hotel rooms, which as I write it, sounds much more appealing than it actually is. I read a book about FBI Special Agent Pendergast, an infallible superhuman cross between James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, The Shadow and Indiana Jones. While the book covered some interesting subject matter and ended up a fun read, it was hard to accept this demigod hero. My one pointer for the capable authors is to tone it down a bit. I mean, this guy has the eloquence of Shakespeare, has a bottomless repository of knowledge on all obscura, is independently wealthy, routinely selects the singularly correct solution to puzzling situations in nanoseconds, physically resembles a close cropped Legolas, and has the foppish first name of Aloysius. Oh yeah, and he even has a ward. It's borderline satire on the genre to shamelessly pile so much onto a single entity. I bet he can fly, too.
Did I mention that he also has an evil brother? I'm not kidding.
And yet, I read the whole damned book. I feel bloated, unhealthy. Like my mind now has gas from the indulgence.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Readers Wanted
It is my pleasure to announce that Greenfern Magazine is now carried by the good folks at Rust Belt Books.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
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